A letter from November 17th, 2013

Time Travelled — almost 10 years

Peaceful right?

Dear 28 year old me, It's 18 year old you here, typing this from my bedroom. I've just finished flicking through some photo albums and I'm feeling nostalgic, so I figured why not make some nostalgia of my own for future me? So here I am. How's life? Right now I cannot possibly imagine where I will be on this day in 10 years time. 28 seems almost like an unattainable dream and it's so crazy that right now you are reading this from that very age. Do you look very different to what I do now? I hope you've learnt to love yourself. On the topic of love, have you fallen in love yet? I really hope that you have. Even if you're not in love at this very moment, I hope that you've experienced it at least once. I also hope you've done plenty of travelling, and have crossed off some new things from our bucket list. I've already started doing that, so now it's over to you to finish it off. Don't rush it though. Take life slowly and try to absorb everything that is around you right now, it's not going to be there forever. Where do you live now? I sincerely hope you've moved out of home even though this place has a whole lifetimes worth of memories made in it. Have you tried living overseas? Maybe you found someone else who loves to travel like you do and are currently exploring the world with you. Have you camped in the woods? Do you own a kombi van? Have you visited a castle? Things that are happening to me right now: I just finished my first year of university and didn't enjoy it very much at all. I made a total of 0 friends in the entire year, and even for someone as antisocial as me, this is a record (I really hope you go out more now and have a solid network of friends, even if it only consists of a few people.) I also just rearranged my bedroom two days ago and I'm starting to redecorate it into a "natural" feeling room. I really like it :) I've also been writing a lot of poetry on my blog thepoeticunderground.tumblr.com a few days ago I reached 5000 followers. Do you still write poetry? Maybe you even still post on there, who knows. I hope you do still write though. I enjoy doing it right now. I hope you use the computer a lot less than you used to/I do at the moment. I deactivated my facebook at the start of the year and never want it back. That being said, I do still spend far too much time on the internet, and I hope by now you've learnt that actually going outside and living your life is a lot funner than simply watching others live theirs. How's mum and dad? Right now all mum ever does is sit on the computer 24/7 and it's horrible. Whenever I go to talk to her she doesn't really want to talk and you can feel that she's waiting for you to leave so she can go back to talking to her "online friends" again. I hope she's stopped using the computer so much too. I hope mum and dad are both happy and healthy. I especially hope that dad is happy. I can tell these days that he's not and it's so sad to see because he's such an amazing person and deserves to do things that make him happy. I hope you visit mum and dad often, and I think you should give them a call after you finish reading this email. I think the strangest thing to think right now is that in 10 years time it is perfectly possible that I could have a partner or even a child. 10 years feels like an eternity but at the same time also like the blink of an eye. I hope you've spent these past 10 years well and still remember everything I've learnt about life and myself this year. I believe in you, 28 year old me, and I think you should know that even if it feels like you're alone some times you can know that 18 year old you is right here cheering you on. Don't give up on your dreams, and remember that you are a beautiful person inside and out. Stay positive and enjoy every day that you are able to spend in this world. All of my love, 18 year old you.

Epilogue

9 days later

Dear 18 year old me,

Hello from your 28 year old self! I found your letter in my emails today, and what an experience it was to read it. Parts...

Obekr my wish lal hgu tsrap ti ti e,mlsi dan ldocu of a fo of em me hear,t deam evig emad ti uyo i. Wesielse tcoteprde oydta mrof nda tlo wsa i ti drteun heva ma teh tno'd snroep cogmni, i a heav i of btu mboece ouy how niot ldcou thaw i oduwl uyo i nkwo ishw. Wlaysa tabuo notf,e i ekli m'i ecoemb lefe oyu adn swhgiin oyu aagni nhikt i.
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I wno tknhi ot ftdierefn oot who okol ,rfytils td'no ouy do i. My tgo vi'e rahi eohtr toms serasce prta uchm of vteh'an out the a dy)!a ryge by i hte utb dan( oemr epdlul orf i emos too ahdgcne deha eyes my. Stgglure i lot ym pcgicetan rthoe i btu nhat i'm llits emro opnist igmae in elfi ta a my bene aevh tihw msemeo,tis.
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Saw it eolv i nad flnlae lluaeoytsb mnaigza aveh in. It spdteei hdiismiden os gueh hsa evlo to typcaaci is yuor nda ietegynvrh enver. Ni fo am si hnotmegis mlfesy ti uprdo i. Nto to lvoe elpyde ni het am ni tmenmos oes,nrp so eht lal vilae velo mi' eb hppay ekam me dan owrdl wtih yrrlncetu a tbu in ti lettil ttha i itwh. Of and ni adn sha orf ti a to ahwt hte olt in vole entka yrase hte retfuu gmith atth thwi sawy reyas tenx 10 lodh heset aemks fo 01 all deicxet me fnlliya flal lef,smy.
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Ni edytilnief ibt 10 mero past ilanvlgert eth vhea oned a sayre i. Ot hte and ni just ni 20,51 ,emiea nwte sviit us eht in ot htsi naapj uk esnpt macp 0921 lbia i iv'e i july sa a ntwe tmnosh urcolsnleo 3 to ni nad laso been dan daliren ew cnlidae ot ngkorwi ,0126. In uev'oy puletilm nttasfica dnoe mesieomr yteh aaisrtual odar iptsr all are adn adn urstdanvee. Elfi ltsli tath ermimsoe tath my fo eeeendpixrc ot zbrreai ouy so htkni t'ahnev in si soen aer it eosm ruftaevoi. Coimgn it fro ttha isgev eoph meor em t'hsree me olsa. Ueoy'r rvye do gthir e,tpnser tyr and s'ti obatu to oinabrsgb hte bste lslti my osmtgehni i. Whti eht eifl ltdua sepaclyeli nac it daedd eb gslergu,t spbsieeiirltnosi won a of. .
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Eb illw enbe stuj a for eavh of i'm ttah 7 ardbn fro i enwedke nimocg ridenf enw mohe uto thiw aysre eb wchih will a omngiv tsih in hcpaert i ilnvgi and evyr wn,o cxieted. Utb royu i own ew eth out i ouy gcmianp tguhbo od mibko hingik edivl eotfn how ti nad sye, eb btu on nad nv!a a vtnae'h lla acbk a,esevosr wno go hmtig van dbilu a ot tarnel a not dan. Be inmocg i!t seru orme iwll m'i terhe anvuseerdt pnltey in.
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Akoy uoy ty,esviirnu i edath and onkw htta si. Yuo atgien fo ersddori na the ite;m ta aeedslri enadbrowk fo iwht thigm dna ghntsi uory bgngeiinn fayiml were lggutrgins teh otn hte haev ouy. Etr,he year fo newt ofr oruy sepom osret and yuor mllas stdanei akcb cnoesd ormsieieedrb a you olnnie edoenp enevr sgelnli. Oobk 2140 itsfr in rouy adn ptyoer insec owt dlbuehips eliuhbfe-dslps erom yuo eavh. Eopc!si dan reay yntioiaadtllr si ldos next 000 rty 'yetveh rof ehpiubdsl for ootk kobo ym het i kbrea ot oecplu a ym teg tbu 05 sltli yasre et,iwr a i eanrly oufhrt fo glao. Het naym ot ot oyru so eelppo eht so lal put ttha lrowd able dehepl rtffeo you unaord m'i galrufet girtwni me ofr be tnoi creha fo.
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I and thsi a nglo nidfesr all atnh i i pucaiarrtl adigen mroe in ietm, vaeh ydrlae ni vhea hemt arey olev. Werrads fylsem tpu orme eht a nad three otu otl i seen atht fo evah. Hte rentdeusva woh oegs dikepc tteghore, orpgu laong e'iv fsdiren veah etfno up omse thore nkiihg i awy dan a no. Yimmunoct akme hnew ni os wiht kepe pu vloed nfidsre my eoltssc vhea i eppeol lvrealo a gwogrin i fo and lfee feel asw oudnf ofmr me ltlsi i thta elki i tucho.
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Hoclgnoety lto heset saw yda it ucbesae to i a etrlpevna sguregtl flie asyd yda it 01 sryae sllit goa moer htna is ilcaslepye ue,s ni hwti. Eohnp toin tge chhiw i loyn oenft use lcal fnote acn a t,tex ""umbd nad tou oerm orldw eht ot em. Adn hwit ilek othyoglenc oyu ryou eihetygvnr ni hatt ol,sfw dpennceeed ni 'tsi ot the bebs voel lpeeop awy a tucoh dna e,fil no peek.
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Edangir atwh aprt uboat it dan cilidffut mum aws dha da,d icngmo oyu no nlyerdcibi was gwnniko idea thta htis. You dahn dolh dna taht uoyr eltl oyka yuo i eb lwli ot twan. Hvae utb ohhurtg nggio ti eyu'or ot ot tllis og. Flee het saodhunt lilw tnihsg nda lytgui tehor liwl slposehe yeras nad a uyo veah lpi,aufn myna htiw and rof dam htetmfara eb to elad illw adn yuo ti. Hte of hoetr orf but hree ti on ma side wgitina oyu i. .
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Nwo okto shi ni 7012 ifle add. Feervor memroy eeiam its' uoyr day iwll in a and srerdca eb uondf ih,m uyo nda thta. Eimt wlil a bmun rfo gnol eb uyo. Tiawwdhr lla orwg dwoul frmo dan eb taerfs of pu hatn ot uyo yrou wlil esdfrni cdfero etwreshoi vaeh uoy. Hswi uyo three eb hte nda i lrfoo, eb hstign no ot ahomortb uyor teh kcba urb llet yaok to uldoc ti's yuo sebbod i no kbrone. Htat twhi smea ni eth i tstiw eymab soem hee,rt eher ma mtei of won rae ni oyu awy e,m. Teg not ouy cgnhdnaeu ti liwl ortuhhg ohrhgut tge you ti, but wlil.
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Ouy mum ipnluaf eyaldp to uhcm as ni pnai evrne si hsa pu aktl ahtt teh ewndo eontf yuo it hety smoneeo to patr owh duse iqeut to to, uryo be sa odt'n uradno. Wanrsse it yaer op,ne hre eth adn 'im uto reven rof het lya t,hwi reh nwe henorat twhi fo ot glao dwon lal ti's ist ot gto its' gotnsemhi ouy dna in the llsti ageindl ask. Hvea i lilw tbu 01 rhewe ti runbde ot enbe kwno it eht and is sra,ye crary nto ietm ttha ld,ae sah otdn' ynearmo ot.
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A engo in a tacex that aevh ktihginn be lcduo tath i had aprrnet ,82 htnisg ni wluod eopbliss rdeieftflyn yb i be on a and wgrno fi mtghi you cdilh thpa it lefi few a'ertn nad. Tbu ti dtuwl'no oynijgen wpas ifle hgniav i lyhwol giantnyh i nda ym eimn, ma lees as ofr. A ow,nt' yuo liwl haev nstertgh tub of ymeab neo fo inffllluig ntsde'o nad twha feli llits ttha wnok stuj bayem rea it dna apalbec yuo nad fi will as day ouy hnpaep ti oury ziagman ro enppha. Olok oyu yer'ou nad nheddru yuo ta hte a na lbnik efle a ta kbca rysea ye,e aawy iemt fo ir,gth is sreay 01 i asem tub. Adn satp sndiie hte emeiilft yuo oyu symefl mlsla elvdi ilstl thsngi lnetar a dloh eth haev i in utb i eaedcd veah.
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Of akntyhuo i me, prudo upord era am eht woh siaatogln i so of rfo yuo ogimbnce uyo 18 yera nad lod am. Ifel lrea si o,yu uthgo etg ofr uoy ubt uhrotgh get obuat ot ti. Here i teim ossl soetrrgn lla an ,olev adn ni ihwt iabyitl ohguhtr ot nvee to andh lal ruyo atth cabk elvo osmec ym tarhe fo ghhrtou fo am niharcge htta lhod.
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Aasylw, yuros.
82 ldo ouy arey.

This user has written an update to this letter.To see what they wrote, please


matheusgamer304010:

almost 2 years ago

Have you become what you expected?

gracemcnee23:

almost 2 years ago

Woah this is so cool to read, I hope you followed your dreams and achieved them, if not I still hope ur doing good.

Letter Author:

over 1 year ago

It made me proud to read this and realise I had achieved so much of what I was hoping 10 years ago. Life threw some pretty big curveballs at me, but I came out the other side a more resilient person. If I can do as much growing again in the next 10 years, then I can't imagine where I might be at 38.

victotoroia:

over 1 year ago

I usually send letters a year later, but this inspired me to write one to send in 10 years. A lot really does happen in a decade! Thanks for sharing and I wish you all the best in reaching your dreams!

marco:

over 1 year ago

this made me tear up

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